Zaza Italian Restaurant, Pinner, For a Family Birthday Meal

We asked AI, Gemini, to find us a restaurant open Sunday night which provided sparklers for a birthday party. We also asked for a restaurant with vegetarian options. I wanted to go to the Argentinian steak house in Whetstone, all you can eat. My son said you have to give them 24 hours notice for the fish option. Besides we wanted to try somewhere new to us.

AI gave us about ten choices. Top of our shortlist was Zaza restaurant in Pinner.

We compared all the reviews on Tripadvisor and Google maps. Zaza seemed to please most people and stay within budget. So we booked.

A Good Start

Zaza Restaurant, Pinner. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Copyright. 

The restaurant has a double front, easy to find, near the corner. You know the famous promise, 'you can't miss it ' - but you do. We missed it. We drove down the long high street of shops and pubs from the church down to the Park - ending with the lake and Heath Robinson Museum and Pinner station to your left. It's not there. It's in the short run of shops in the road running parallel. In a moment we were there.

Delightful Decor

Lovely lights on the decorative tree. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

I liked the imitation tree branching across the ceiling in both of the two rooms. At night it is attractively lit with white fairy lights.

We were in the less busy second room. Our reserved table was a circular table with a bench alcove. A bench is convenient for spreading your bags around you, off the floor, safely away from thieves. Those on the bench are away from clumsy passers-by who might trip over your bags, or bump into your chair. We could sandwich the 5 year old between two adults on the circular bench so she could not get lost or annoy others and we could attempt to make her eat. 

Music

Music was playing as we arrived but it soon diminished and was never so loud that we could not talk.

Drinks

Prosecco served in a Champagne flute kept me happy. The menu offered lots of drinks available by the glass. Good for the drivers - we had two drivers, two families in separate cars. Also non-alcoholic drinks.

We went without starters as we were saving ourselves for dessert.

The restaurant has a child's menu.

Spaghetti bolognaise was served up with no meat and tomato sauces on the side for a child, at our request.

Main Courses

The salad we ordered as a side dish with one of the main courses contained small green olives.

Lamb in sauce, cheaper than the steak, excellent for a meat eater.

Salad. Potatoes. Zaza Restaurant in Pinner. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Seafood - a good selection of three kinds of seafood.

Chicken with potatoes. I prefer to have chicken in white sauce with mushrooms. I settled for breaded chicken and it surprised me by being acceptable. I liked the small potatoes in herbs.

Desserts at Zaza Restaurant

The high point of the meal for me was desserts. 

Birthday Cake Slice At Zaza Restaurant

First, most important, the dessert for the birthday girl. The small portion of cake arrived with happy birthday written on the plate, in chocolate sauce, and a candle. 

She had not ordered dessert, and was not asked to order a dessert so that they had something to put the candle on, which had happened to us once at another restaurant.

It was not just a small round dessert plate but a big oblong plate to take the writing. \Looking at the picture I took, I notice they have gone to the trouble to add a red heart drizzled in a brown chocolate outline. The dessert is on a square surround which looks good - and makes it look larger whilst not overwhelming the diner with sugar.

For health reasons, I would rather have fruit dessert, without sugar. In the old days, back in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Italian restaurants and hotels, in both England and Italy, would have a dessert trolley and one of the options would be a fresh peach, one of any piece of fruit from a fruit bowl, a fruit salad, or an orange, or pieces of peach or other fruit in a syrup.

Lemon Tart At Zaza restaurant

I had lemon tart, the nearest I could get to something which sounded as though it contained one drop of fruit. It was attractively presented, with an impressive decorative swirl of red sauce. The sauce was tasty. It tasted of sweet strawberries and sugar.

The bar is by the door and we had been greeted on arrival by somebody who asked if we had booked and showed us to our table. Somebody at the bar said goodbye as we left.

Toilets at Zaza

Two cubicles, one for men, one for women. Conveniently on the ground floor. Like all the restaurant.

Service at Zaza

Service was obliging and fast. 

Verdict on Zaza Restaurant, Pinner

Not haute cuisine. We would not rush to go back. But very pleasant once in a while.

Not Michelin standard but good enough and a good price. 

Parking in Pinner near Zaza Restaurant

On Sunday night parking was easy, in the road outside for free. Also in the car park opposite.

What did they not do? What could they add? No flowers on the table. In lieu of a bouquet I had cut a four or five rose heads off my garden roses, and the waitress, at my request for a bowl, brought a drinking glass which I filled with water to act as a small vase.

No chocolates with the bill. But I did not miss them at the time, only in analyzing the whole place with a fine tooth comb, in retrospect. We were quite happy. We had had chocolate dessert.

The Name Zaza

After I got home, I wondered why the restaurant was called Zaza. First, Za or Zaza is an abbreviation or slang term for pizza. Yes, they have pizza on the menu. 

Secondly Zaza is a character in Italian pop culture, and was famous in the 1944 Napolitan song Where is Zaza (Dove sta Zaza).

Thirdly, Zaza is a popular name for friendly family restaurants. The Trattoria Zaza is famous in Florence, Italy. 

If you are wondering where you have heard the name Zaza before in English, it is the name of a biblical character in the Book of Chronicles, an Italian footballer, in rap songs it stands for potent weed (marijuana), and the zebra Zaza is a character in the children's TV series Peppa Pig.

You might also be thinking of the fashion brand Zara. Or the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. But now you know it is a restaurant in Pinner. 

Zaza Restaurant Branches

The Zaza Italian Restaurant group has seven branches. The other six are in Berkhamsted, Bushey, Enfield, Harpenden, Old Amersham, and Ruislip. 

Private Dining Rooms At Zaza Restaurants

You can book a private dining room for a fee at Old Amersham, Ruislip and Berkhamsted.

Zaza Italian Restaurant, 

8 Love Lane, Pinner, HA5 3EF.

Tel:020 8866 3883

Useful Websites

www.zaza.co.uk

-ends-

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Seen In Hatch End - Cookery Queen Mrs Beeton & More

Flag of the London Borough of Harrow, in Hatch End, Pinner. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Restaurants and Mrs Beeton Plaque

The plaque to Mrs Beeton is on the exterior wall of Lattakia Restaurant.

Hatch End has many restaurants and a heritage plaque to cookery queen Mrs Beeton.

Trees & Plaques In Hatch End

At least three trees in the street have plaques at the base telling you the type of tree or the donors or both. I had been wondering what an elm tree looks like.

I identified a horse chestnut tree where the Broadway turns into Grimsdyke Road because I saw conkers lying on the pavement (Americans say sidewalk).

Plaques On Flower Displays

Useful Websites on Hatch End

Hatch End in Wikipedia

Lattakia Restaurant

https://www.lattakia.co.uk/

More photos shortly

Wine and Whisky Tasting In London

 

Left Jano @whiskysky_official on Instagram

Whisky Dinners In Pinner

Jano holds dinners with 5 whiskies, once a month, at a restaurant in Pinner, Middlesex. 

Right Angela Lansbury of Central London Wine Society.

Central London Wine Society

It meets the middle two Wednesdays in the evening at the Civil Service Club near Trafalgar Square. The cost varies from about £30 for tasting about 7 wines, double that cost yet sold out with a waiting list for tasting more expensive premium wines, with commentary from the presenter. See media such as Meetup and Eventbrite to secure a place and get admission to the venue.

Queens Head pub, Pinner, for a funeral tea

If you park behind the Queens Head pub in Pinner, you see the back garden area on your way in.  

Queens Head pub, Pinner, has a large open area at the back

 Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 

For the funeral tea, we had platters of sandwiches, vegetable spring rolls, sausage rolls. And something with fresh fruit, strawberry tarts.

I drank a Prosecco.

Photo Panels

We had just seen slides of photos of our next door neighbour at the Breakspear crematorium during the service. In addition at the pub, three panels of pictures of our neighbour and her family were set up on shelves around the walls.

Atmosphere & Ambiance

Altogether, a very pleasant event, where the family could cheer up with food and drinks and company in the historic pub.

Parking At The Pub

The fact that we could park for free in the car park behind the pub alongside the back garden was an added bonus. We just had to give our numberplate to the staff behind the bar.
 

Doolchee is open in Hatch End

 

Ice cream corner at the front.

Amusing arch of paper cups.

The same owners as Amore in Pinner.

Kafe Ador open In Hatch End

 

Christmas tree in Kafe Ador, which opened Monday December 16th.2024.Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Balloons in Kafe Ador. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Pastries, sandwiches and snacks, they say.

Opening offer if you have the leaflet for dine in.

414 Uxbridge Road, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 4 HP.

Useful Website

https://www.kafeador.co.uk/

I visited and reviewed on December 18th 2024. See the lateer post.

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Veera Restaurant - South Indian Restaurant in Hatch End - Very New, Very Good

Angela Lansbury in Indian outfit outside newly opened Veera by Sarasas Indian restaurant. Photo by Trevor Sharot.
 

The name Veera means older brother in two Indian languages as well as being from the Sanskrit brave. The owners have two other successful restaurants in Hayes and Ruislip. The new restaurant in Hatch End was designed by the family. While it's new, they will be overseeing the Hatch End branch. But they keep an eye on the quality of service with video so they can spot if customers are looking for attention. I think this is wonderful.  The family were busy checking up looking after us when we had a meal there on the first day.

Now, what about the decor and food.\

Delightful Decor

First the decor. We popped in to look at the menu at lunch time and were delighted. Of course it was all new.  A choice of seating, upright dining chairs or banquettes against the walls. One circular table. A bank of three behind a barrier which cuts it off from the bar. The circular table is opposite the kitchen window, so might be noisy they warned up. There was background music, good for us as we had a three year old and did not want to risk disturbing others.

The decor is delightful. Unusual light fittings. The toilets have an imitation leaves of the roof.

Amusing. Restful. Different.

I also liked the playing card motifs indicating men and women on he toilet doors.

Food Prices and Choices

The dearest items were the mixed grill at 27 pounds and the tandoori salmon at 17.

Mixed grill. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The chicken biriani was 15. Biriani comes at four prices depending on ingredients. Vegetarians can choose vegetarian options at lower prices. 

The most dramatic dish, ordered by others at the next table, was the conical dosai. Amusing and amazing. 

Conical dosai at Veera Restaurant, Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The peshwari naan contained coconut. Six pounds.

The desserts we tried were two kinds of kulfi (Indian ice cream). 

Kulfi in two flavours. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Drinks

The Lunetta Prosecco was a small 20c  bottle, enough for two of us to have a glass.  I had mango lassi at six pounds. Service charge was more than 10 percent. 

We had some leftover food and they provided lidded boxes for us to select our take away. 

The owner escorted us to the door and made sure we had a sample of the digestive seeds in the decorative bicycle.

Counter top model of a bicycle containing seeds. Veera restaurant by Sarasas. Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

If the website prices are up to date, you can get the same or similar food and drink at their other branches at lower prices.

Useful Information

Veera Restaurant

322-324 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Harrow HA5 4HR

 For their branches in Ruislip and Hayes, see

http://sarasasrestaurant.com/

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New Restaurant in Hatch End - Chipsy Which Seves Canadian-Style Poutine, Plus Potato (Chips in the UK, French Fries elsewhere)

 

Chipsy in Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

You can see from their fascia that they were established in 2017.  More than six years before they appeared in Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex. Their signs advertise BBQ (barbecue) Grill Smokehouse, and gourmet burgers. 

The seating is a hoice of bucket seats or bar stools.

The wordburger put me off and I thoough, just a dull overpriced, fast food. But when I read their website I was intrigued. First of all, a new food name, new to me, poutine, from Canada. the name means either mixture or mess or pudding. The three main ingredients are potato chips, cheese curd and gravy, usually a chicken and beef mixture. 

Several restaurants clsim they or their customers invented the dish. One restaurant claims that they added the gravy to keep the chips hot. Seveal variations are offered on their menus for the restaurant, delivey and catering. They have menus for children, and vegan alternatives.

Allergy Symbols

They have several symbols for ingredients which may affect those with allergies. Starting with cellery.

But their symbol for fish is not much use to me.I love the swimming fish with fins shown by their symbol, such as salmon, trout, cod, plaice, mackerel, haddock, cod, anchovies. 

What I cannot eat is shellfish, crustaceans, such as lobster, crab, prawns, shrimp coklesand mussels. I also steer clear of squid and jellyfish, although I have eaten and enjoyed eel. So I am keen to eat fish and chips, such as placie and chips, and smoked salmon. What I don't want is  what I have been given at other restaurants - fish sauce, oysters sauce, prawns on top of my salmon or hidden in my rice, and oyster sauce swilled over other food, or shrimps and shellfish at the bottom of bowls of soup or casserole, 

Finally, in their favour, is theirpomise to use recyclable packaging and to clear it up. Well done.

All in all, a highly entertaining read of their menu, and inspired by that, the Wikipedia entry on Poutine. So, I am feeling much warmer towards Chipsy.

Useful Websites

https://chipsy.co.uk/chipsy-meals/

https://chipsy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Chipsy_Web_Brochure_Final.pdf

https://chipsycatering.foodstorm.com/items/category/desserts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine

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B & K Salt Beef

 

The Queen's Head historic pub in Pinner

The Queen's Head Pub, Pinner

 The Queen's head is half way up the hill of the main high street in historic Pinner, on the Metropolitan line in North West London. The pub (short for public house) is the eye-catching main landmark of the street. 

Another old pub is opposite. A third is down the hill on that side, towards the station. If you are visiting the Heath Robinson museum in the Pinner Park, you could eat in the park restaurant, or visit any of the three pubs.

The Queen's Head is a beamed pub, a typical British historic pub, and now has a picture of the late Queen Elizabeth II in the room on the left. 

At the back is a raised terrace where you can sit in the sun in summer. Or smoke a cigarette, away from the fumers of traffic. (LOL!)  If you come by car you can park at the back. You just have to tell the people at the bar your car number.

The ladies toilet has an elegant two cubicle toilet. Above the wash basins are two bottles, one of pleasant hand washing gel, the other containing lotion, just like a five star hotel or Michelin restaurant.

I went there for a funeral tea. We started at 4.30 and went on to about 6 thirty. Our group had the room on the far left. The man who died was my lovely neighbour Loudon and one of his daughters had set up, on the back wall, on a shelf, three large glass frameless frames containing lots of photos of Loudon with the family or on his own. In the pictures he was, of course, smiling happily, as if he was pleased to see us at his funeral tea. (We had come from Breakspear Crematorium in Ruislip, about which I shall write in another post.)

Wikipedia says

Queen's Head Public House. Designated. 9 July 1968. Reference no. 1079700. The Queens Head is a public house, dating back to the 16th century, [1] at 31 High Street, Pinner, in the London Borough of Harrow, England. The timber-framed building was Grade II listed in 1968 by Historic England. [1]

Queen's Head, Pinner - Wikipedia

Apart from Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II, I must admit my knowledge of queens of England was hazy. So, inspired by my trip to the pub, I looked up queens of England and found the one who had died the year before the pub was built.

Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714)^[b] was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 8 March 1702 until 1 May 1707. On 1 May 1707, under the Acts of Union, the kingdoms of England and Scotland united as a single sovereign state known as Great Britain. Anne continued to reign as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland until her death in 1714.

Anne was born in the reign of Charles II to his younger brother and heir presumptive, James, whose suspected Roman Catholicism was unpopular in England. On Charles's instructions, Anne and her elder sister Mary were raised as Anglicans. Mary married their Dutch Protestant cousin, William III of Orange, in 1677, and Anne married Prince George of Denmark in 1683. On Charles's death in 1685, James succeeded to the throne, but just three years later he was deposed in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Mary and William became joint monarchs. Although the sisters had been close, disagreements over Anne's finances, status, and choice of acquaintances arose shortly after Mary's accession and they became estranged. William and Mary had no children. After Mary's death in 1694, William reigned alone until his own death in 1702, when Anne succeeded him.

During her reign, Anne favoured moderate Tory politicians, who were more likely to share her Anglican religious views than their opponents, the Whigs. The Whigs grew more powerful during the course of the War of the Spanish Succession, until 1710 when Anne dismissed many of them from office. Her close friendship with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, turned sour as the result of political differences. The Duchess took revenge with an unflattering description of the Queen in her memoirs, which was widely accepted by historians until Anne was reassessed in the late 20th century.

Anne was plagued by poor health throughout her life, and from her thirties she grew increasingly ill and obese. Despite 17 pregnancies, she died without surviving issue and was the last monarch of the House of Stuart. Under the Act of Settlement 1701, which excluded all Catholics, she was succeeded by her second cousin George I of the House of Hanover.

She had 17 miscarriages, poor woman. She is less remembered than Henry VIII's poor wives. but here is the Queen's head pub, recalling two famous queens.

Whatpub.com told me more. I thought the pub was named after the queen after she died, but there is a closer connection. She actually visited Pinner more than once. The pub was known as the Crown Inn until 1715 when the name was changed to the Queen's Head because Queen Anne used to change horses here when riding between Hatfield and London.

Changing horses! Horses, like people running marathons, got tired running, or gallopping, long distances for hours. So the rider and horse stopped for a drink. The rider took another horse, which had more energy, leaving the first one to rest.

Useful Websites

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Head,_Pinner

What Pub

https://whatpub.com/pubs/MDX/11940/queens-head-pinner

Pinner History Society

London Borough of Harrow

Facebook

Pub Owner

https://www.queensheadpinner.co.uk/

A Quick Look At Italian Restaurants in Hatch End

 The Italian restaurants include Casa Mia, Tonito, Minori Pizzaria, and two fast food places, Papua Mia and another.

Casa Mia, right, Dona Teresa left, Italian restaurants  in Hatch End.

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Tonito Italian restaurant.  Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The name means little Tony.

Across the road is Minori Pizzeria. I recently saw 'Mr Fellini' going inside. He was going to retire years ago but is still going strong.

Minori restaurant, Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Minori restaurant, Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Useful Websites & contacts

Casa Mia Italian Restaurant

455 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 4JS.

Tel: 020 8428 0079

www.casamia-restaurant.co.uk

Minori Pizzeria

410 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, HA5 4HP

Tel: 020 8428 1881

www.minori.co.uk

Tonito Italian Restaurant

435 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner HA5 4JR

tonitoitalian@outlook.com

If you want sandwiches, almond croissants, and half bottles and full bottles of wine cheaply, there\s Tesco express. 

Minori has ice cream. 

Hatch End also has an ice cream shop.

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Coming to Hatch End in 2023 a new restaurant, Kiyoto Sushi

 

Sign for the new Kiyoto Sushi. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Kyoto is a city in Japan but Kiyoto is a boy's name which means precious, clear, or noble. The restaurants' website says that the UK restaurants were started in 2015 by two brothers. If they have survived Covid-19 and expanded, they are doing well doing something which appeals to their customers.

I phoned their Mill Hill branch and a member of staff told me that the new Hatch End branch is likely to open in April or May. You will also be able to get details from Facebook and Instagram.

Useful Websites

www.kiyotosushi.co.uk

https://babynames.com/name/kiyoto#:~:text=The%20name%20Kiyoto%20is%20primarily,origin%20that%20means%20Clear%2C%20Precious.

https://www.thenamemeaning.com/kiyoto/

https://www.issendai.com/names/japanese/japanese-boys-names.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi

DO JO restaurant in Hatch End, Pinner, north west London

 

Decorated doorway in December for Xmas of the newly opened DO JO restaurant in late 2022. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

You may recall the Pizza Express restaurant. This is the reborn restaurant, with Pan Asian cuisine. At the back is a garden. According to the reviews I read, they have two sittings. 

Useful Websites

HISTORY

https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/19094721.hatch-end-restaurant-applies-late-night-alcohol-licence/

OPEN TABLE

https://www.opentable.co.th/r/dojo-pinner

See later post by Angela Lansbury 24 May 2025.

Lovely Lebanese Food At Lattakia Lebanese Restaurant, Hatch End, Pinner, North West London

Lattakia's delightful decor. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Decor

The decor was delightful. A patterned tiled floor. The lanterns are atmospheric, curved tear-drop lanterns.

Service

Service was swift. When I asked about having chicken I was quickly shown the two choices. When I asked if I could have potatoes, I was quickly offered the extra potato option. (The manager /owner escorted us to the door as we left.)

Food & Prices

Hot envelope shape bread with olives is placed on the table on arrival. They replaced the bread before we had finished. I had seen complaints from other diners about being charged for the first lot and/or replacement. However, we had the bread and olives as a starter, ordered one starter as a main course (humous).  The menu states that replacement bread costs four pounds. The whole menu cost - rnd.ead on to the end.

The spicy fish was given the above average vote by the person who chose that.

I liked my shredded chicken with rice.

Potatoes

 I ordered extra potatoes which were served on the side. They were big potato chips. ((Not thin crisps, but solid oblongs of potato.)  I thought the food was 'average.  (Why? Because I like all the restaurants in Hatch End, and most I visit in London, having selected carefully, so I need to save the above average awards for those with dramatic presentation. However, the other two of the three of us dining thought the food was above average. 

Booking and Tables

We managed to get a table without booking on a Friday night about 8 pm.

Closing time

They were empty by 10.30 Friday night. The Italian restaurants on the same side of the road, and the Middle Eastern and oriental restaurants opposite were still bustling.

Take Home Food

They gave us metal containers and lids to pack up our leftover food. If you are dividing food between two sets of people, divide the food, instead of putting all the potatoes in one container and all the chicken in another.

bIf you like their desserts, you can buy presentation boxes.

Baklavas and sweets at Lattakia restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

We did not order desserts, just coffee for one person. But with the bill came a mini morsel of a baklava for each of us. What the French call an amuse bouche.

Everybody was happy. The bill was about seventy plus for three, and we had leftovers for a second meal for all three of us.

Top Plus Points? 

1 Hot pita bread on arrival.

2 I liked the chicken and the big chips.

3 Personal supervision from the owner.

4 Despite the small size of the restaurant, we found it easy to get a table.

5 Ground floor toilet.

Any Warnings?

1 Extra charge for the bread.

2 Noisy when full early evening because of the hard surfaces, tiled floor, not tablecloths. However, at the end of the evening when other tables had emptied it was quieter.

Useful Websites

https://www.lattakia.co.uk/

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Steak Restaurant, Hatch End, Pinner. Planning Before A Visit

Steak restaurant. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The steak restaurant is to the right of Tanna's pharmacy.

It is interesting to compare what you expected of a restaurant before your visit, and what you discovered during a visit. Here is my before impression of the Steak Restaurant, Hatch End. 

I was not interested in the steak restaurant. Steak is expensive. I can stick a steak under a grill at home. 

Besides, grills tend to leave black strips of carbon. The burned stuff doesn't taste nice. It's reputed to give you cancer.

All steaks? They also offered what to me looked like overpriced hamburgers. No, I thought. 

Then I changed my mind.  

My friend, Lucinda, said, "It's one of our favourite restaurants.'

Her husband, Brian, echoed: "It's my favourite. I like steak. You can see what you are getting. The meat is not chopped up and hidden inside silly sauces."

"Okay,"  I said. "I haven't  been there before. I've tried everywhere else in Hatch End. Let's give it a try."

I looked at their website. They have a Sunday roast.

Also, a halal menu. The food choices are much the same, but certified meat, cooked in separate dishes.

Jews might choose the halal which has no pork, or sea bass. 

Desserts

I fancy the baked cheesecake. Or the warm chocolate pud. The set lunch is 15.95 for two courses. Plus seven for dessert. I wonder if you can have a main course and dessert instead of the starter. 

https://www.thesteakrestaurant.com/desserts/

https://www.thesteakrestaurant.com/drinks/

https://www.thesteakrestaurant.com/drinks/cocktails/

A photo I took a while back at night. Steak Restaurant on the right. Hatch End is quite lively at night with lots of restaurants.

 Useful Websites

https://www.thesteakrestaurant.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d13370343-Reviews-The_Steak_Restaurant-London_England.html

https://www.mylondon.news/whats-on/food-drink-news/best-steaks-in-london-tripadvisor-24057105

https://www.opentable.co.uk/r/the-steak-restaurant-pinner

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New Restaurant in Hatch End, Fusion 381 opened mid 2022, with my menu translations

Fusion 381 restaurant in Hatch End, exterior showing the street number is 381. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 Interior of Fusion 381 restaurant, showing the depiction of a lady in a large at above the bar. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Fusion 381

The new restaurant, was new to me, and my family, in June 2022. The location is Hatch End. It is in the old, former Natwest bank building. 381 The Broadway, Uxbridge Road. When I pushed open the door, the manager or owner rushed forward to greet me.

Decor

Above the bar area is a big picture of a lady in a large hat.

The table are wipe clean wood or wood effect. The chair backs lean back and are orange at the front and blue on the back.

Some of the words on the menu which you might like to get familiar with before a visit.

bao - bun

canai - roti canai is Indian flatbread

ebi - shrimp or prawns in Japan

edamo

galangal - also called Siamese ginger (Thai ginger)

gelato - Italian sorbet/ice cream

Gyoza - sometimes described as a dumpling but more often a pasta wrap pressed together with a filling of stuffing of minced meat and vegetable, like a fan shape fried ravioli, but can be larger like a semi-circular samosa, but on this menu dumplings with apple filling.

Katsu - means cutlet in Japanese, strips of fried meat (or vegetables) in batter which you eat dipped in a sauce

julienne - sliced into short sticks, flat edged

king prawn - large prawns

mangetout - french for eat all, tiny peas served in the pod

Massaman - rich, mild, Thai curry

mirin - like sake, which is rice wine, but with more sugar and less alcohol

miso  Miso (みそ or 味噌) is a Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji  (fungus) and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. The thick paste is used for sauces, spreads, pickling vegetables, fish, or meats, and mixing with dashi soup stock to serve as miso soup. 

Mochi - moulded rice cake, could be a white, ball, a dome or an oblong, and can be coloured

mouli - a type of radish

pak choy - a green vegetable. I don't like it. Asians love it.

panko - crunchy small breadcrumbs

ponzu - citrus based sauce which is colourless but brown when soy sauce is added

roti - round Indian flat bread

roti

roti   https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canai.jpg

roti canai

shallots - onions

shichimi - spice of chilli pepper with 7 ingredients, such as 

• coarsely ground red chili pepper (the main ingredient)
• ground sanshō ("Japanese pepper")
• roasted orange peel (Chenpi)
• black sesame seed
• white sesame seed
• hemp seed^[5]
• ground ginger^[3]
• nori or aonori (seaweed)
• poppy seed
• 
  
  
  
  

tamarind - brown, sweet, tangy fruit from trees grown in Africa

Tamarind, picture from Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind#/media/File:Tamarindus_indica_pods.JPG

tempura - Japanese fried food

tofu - vegetarian food, often white cubes like a solid mousse or feta cheese, can be fried

wok - bowl shape frying pan for quick cooking vegetables and sliced up meat or fish or other items which are tossed about

yakitori - Japanese style, grilled with tasty brown sauce which might be based on a soy sauce

V=vegetarian (vegetables, no meat)

VE=vegan (vegetables, no meat, no milk, no eggs, no animal products - which will mean no gelatine from animals)

I have already chosen what I would like to order. I am allergic to shellfish. So no prawns or squid for starters.  My choices of starters would be Indian bread with curry, or chicken skewers with sesame seed, and if we order a second different starter the duck with Peking sauce is a favourite of my family although you can order that at other places.

For my main course, there are three chicken dishes, two dishes with lemon grass, and an extra of sweet potato fries.

Fusion 381 restaurant

381 Uxbridge Road

Hatch End 

HA5 4JP

TEL 020 3859 8722.

The menu is on the outside wall on both sides of the front door, also on their website. The menu choices include

Starters

Main courses

Sides and salads include coconut rice and sweet potato fries.

I like the menu. Desserts include chocolate brownie with coconut ice creams, or apple dumpling (called gyozo).

Drinks include cranberry juice, lychee juice, prosecco, sake, cocktails, wines.

Location

By car

You can park outside. Easy to find near the Tesco Express, on the opposite side of the road to the Hatch End railway station.

By bus and train

Hatch end has two buses. The H14 goes to and from Stanmore. 

The H12 goes to Harrow Northwick Park.

Website

https://www.fusion381.com/

Food menu

https://www.fusion381.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/381food-v2.pdf

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/h12/

https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/timetable/h12/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roti_canai

Update November 2025. This post is now about historic Hatch End. The latest restaurant in the converted bank is Eggholic. See my later posts.

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